Just got back in from a great trotting session :)

[JV44]

Steve-JV you could use the normark at 13ft, just leave out the extension. I've never seen the new drennan rods but i've seen good reports about them. Regarding the conditions, they sound just how I like 'em. I always seem to do well mid-day when it's really sunny and clear and the waters running clear. I suppose it varies from venue to venue.

What's happend to Chris-rusty, I thought he'd have been with you, has he been sent down or summot ? he very rarely posts these days . If he is in jail send me his details and i'll drop him some snail mail and a few quid for his tooth paste, soap n'stuff. He can send us a VO and we'll go visit him .

His dad had been unwell Ian and he was down visiting him and sadly he lost him today just so people know ,I am sure he would welcome a few Pms of support but he is down there with his siblings .he sent me a text earlier and I will give him a ring shortrly .

 

did use the Normark at 13` mate and it was superb as always Steve

[Tigger]

His dad had been unwell Ian and he was down visiting him and sadly he lost him today just so people know ,I am sure he would welcome a few Pms of support but he is down there with his siblings .he sent me a text earlier and I will give him a ring shortrly .

 

did use the Normark at 13` mate and it was superb as always Steve

 

Oh, that is bad news, lets hope he copes with his loss ok. I know how it feels.....not good at all. I'll drop him a message.

[jaypeegolf]

 

I had no plans to go fishing until next week but found myself free to do as I pleased at 3pm...trotting immediately sprang to mind, so off I went .

On my arrival at the river I noticed it had dropped a few more inches from my last visit and lost it's colour so it was flowing pretty much clear.

Since time was getting on I started fishing as soon as poss and on my third trott through I hooked up with a barbel that dragged my line through boulders etc below the surface damaging it to the extent that I had to re-tackle before resuming fishing. In fact the swim was so full of snags and boulders I had to re-tackle another three times during the session. Here's a picture of the damage the boulders to to the line....

 

 

 

After catching my ninth fish I said to myself tenth fish coming up and it'll be a ten pounder...guess what..it was !!! It weighed 12lb so minus the 1 1/2lb net the fish weighed 10lb 8 ounces .

That's my first double on the float, or at least the first one I can guarrante was a double as when i've caught others that looked to be over 10lb i've had no scales so couldn't say they where.

I caught 12 barbel altogether but the double alone would have given me that satisfied feeling on it's own .

There were a couple of nice fish just topping 9lb amongst them also and they all fought like tigers ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the double...

 

 

 

Hope you don't mind me asking, but what rod is that in the photos?

JP

[Tigger]

JP, it's a Normark Avenger.

[lutra]

Don't know if you have seen them Ian, but there has been a couple of very nice float caught barbel in the press lately by two good anglers. Both go on to say the importance of slowing your bait right down.

 

http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/News--Catches/General-News/Dave-Harrells-biggest-float-caught-barbel/

 

http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Angling-Times/Section/News--Catches/General-News/Change-in-tactics-lands-14lb-2oz-barbel/

 

 

[John S]

Tiggs, I could really start to dislike you

 

[Tigger]

It was blowing white horses on the river when I got there and I thought trotting the float may be more than a little tricky, but hey, I was up for a challenge .
Very first trott the float buried and guess what....barbel....the session continued pretty much as it started with a fish on virtually every trott, or at least that was how it felt. The fish were all barbel bar one small chub of about 12 ounce. I lost a couple of fish when the hook pulled out but i'm confident they were foul hooked from the way they fought while I had them on. I lost count of the fish at No 20 or 21 and I reckon I had another 6 or 7 fish so approx 26 or 27 barbel, not bad for a howling day on the river . I've got a bit of tendonitis and tennis elbow at the moment and playing all those fish didn't do it any good at all , I don't know why i'm laughing it's bloody sore .
Here's a few pic's as normal....



























Brian, I think they're talkin' nonsense in those links....5ft over depth, the weights would just get lodged in the rocks and pull the float under on our rivers. I've been doin all sorts of depth alterations dragging bottom and holding back etc etc until one method started to hook the fish. It's been changing evertime I go and then during the session.

 

John, here's another reason to dislike me Llol .

[lutra]

It was blowing white horses on the river when I got there and I thought trotting the float may be more than a little tricky, but hey, I was up for a challenge .

Very first trott the float buried and guess what....barbel....the session continued pretty much as it started with a fish on virtually every trott, or at least that was how it felt. The fish were all barbel bar one small chub of about 12 ounce. I lost a couple of fish when the hook pulled out but i'm confident they were foul hooked from the way they fought while I had them on. I lost count of the fish at No 20 or 21 and I reckon I had another 6 or 7 fish so approx 26 or 27 barbel, not bad for a howling day on the river . I've got a bit of tendonitis and tennis elbow at the moment and playing all those fish didn't do it any good at all , I don't know why i'm laughing it's bloody sore .

Here's a few pic's as normal....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian, I think they're talkin' nonsense in those links....5ft over depth, the weights would just get lodged in the rocks and pull the float under on our rivers. I've been doin all sorts of depth alterations dragging bottom and holding back etc etc until one method started to hook the fish. It's been changing evertime I go and then during the session.

 

John, here's another reason to dislike me Llol .

Nice one Ian, your starting to look good for 600, but you can't just go taking pic's of fish swimming in the river and count them. lol

 

Can't say I've ever tried 5ft over depth, but 2-3ft isn't to hard if your trotting straight down from the rod tip. I tend to just use bulk shot when doing this and work them down the river bed by keeping the rod tip up and holding back hard. May not be good if your peg is full of very big boulders.

[Tigger]

Nice one Ian, your starting to look good for 600, but you can't just go taking pic's of fish swimming in the river and count them. lol

 

Can't say I've ever tried 5ft over depth, but 2-3ft isn't to hard if your trotting straight down from the rod tip. I tend to just use bulk shot when doing this and work them down the river bed by keeping the rod tip up and holding back hard. May not be good if your peg is full of very big boulders.

 

That was a fish i'd just unhooked in the river and it stayed there long enough for a quick snap, not a good pic I know (i've only got a cheap digi compact) I just thought it might be interesting to have a look at.

 

I couldn't fish much over depth Brian as the bait just got fast in the bottom and the float would just pull straight under. The fish were actually taking the bait fished just overdepth and held back and allowing it to run through slowly.

[viney]

I'm becoming more and more convinced someone has removed all the barbel from the Kennet and placed them in your stretch of river Tigger, once again very jelous! Must remember to stop looking at your thread

Well done by the way